Licenses for dreamers: When, where and what it means

Arizona begins issuing licenses to those brought undocumented to the United States as children

Erika Andiola gets her picture taken with a giant license display while celebrating at state Capitol in Phoenix Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014, after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals instructed U.S. District Court Judge David Campbell to issue a preliminary injunction blocking Gov. Jan Brewer from denying driver's licenses to young Arizona immigrants known as "dreamers."(Photo: Nick Oza/The Republic)

Story Highlights

Dreamers can start applying for driver's licenses on Monday.

About 22,000 people could apply and take the written and road tests.

The Arizona Department of Transportation tells applicants to practice, others to expect long waits.

The courts have ruled and, starting at 8 a.m. Monday, the Arizona Department of Transportation will accept driver's-license applications from young, undocumented immigrants known as "dreamers" who qualify under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Here's more on the immediate impact across the state.

Question: Do the dreamers get their licenses immediately?

Answer: The order doesn't mean those eligible will apply for — or receive — their driver's licenses straight away. The minimum age to apply for DACA is 15, meaning some recipients aren't old enough to drive.

And like any other new driver, the applicants must provide identification, pass a written exam and then take a road test.

If they don't pass either part the first time around, they will have to wait a week to try again, according to an ADOT policy implemented earlier this month.

The agency says about 50 percent of people overall pass the written test and 75 percent pass the road test.

ADOT and leaders from the Arizona Dream Act Coalition are urging people to study the state's driving manual beforehand. The booklet covers potential test questions like what to do during a dust storm and when you can turn left on a red light.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles is expecting 1.4 million new applicants over three years, said spokeswoman Jessica Gonzalez. The department has hired 900 new employees and opened four new offices for the extra customers.

A: Supporters say providing licenses to dreamers will benefit Arizona's economy by allowing DACA recipients easier access to their classes and jobs in a state where most people commute by car. Dreamers are authorized to work under DACA.

Car-related businesses could see more traffic, though many dreamers say they are already driving and their cars are insured.

"Really, it doesn't make a whole heck of a lot of difference," said Alric Kunitz, manager of Arizona Insurance Agency.

He said the company doesn't require a driver's license for car insurance and frequently insures international students. Those who can't verify their driving record, though, add a strike or two to their risk calculation similar to a speeding ticket, Kunitz added.

For companies with more stringent policies, licensed dreamers could be new customers. State Farm Insurance, for example, will not provide a policy for anyone without a license.

"If (dreamers) are granted driving privileges, they will be considered like any other person," spokesman Victor Hugo Rodriguez said.

There are other expenses associated with receiving a license. ADOT's fees range from $7 to $25 for driver's licenses and instruction permits. Arizona identification cards cost $12.

Q: What does it mean to give dreamers state identifications?

A: Arizona already offers driver's licenses to non-citizens with work authorization — dreamers have been the exception.

Before Monday, ADOT accepted as identification U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services employment-authorization cards except for those with category codes for deferred enforced departure, deferred action or DACA.

The background coding on the license differs from those given to citizens, preventing the identification for being used for purposes like state voter registration, said Nicholas Espiritu, staff attorney for the National Immigration Law Center.

"There's been no instance that it has caused any harm to voting integrity," Espiritu said of the 48 states already offering licenses to dreamers.

Q: Does this mean safer roadways?

A: Based on the states that have already given licenses to dreamers, it's too early to tell the safety impacts on all drivers, Espiritu said.

But street-safety organizations are always looking to get unlicensed drivers off the roads, said Frank Hinds, executive director of the Red Means Stop Traffic Safety Alliance. The Phoenix-based group provides training on safe driving behavior.

And many dreamers are already driving.

"That's not something any of us should be happy about," Hinds said. "Allowing them to have a license and requiring insurance is probably a good thing for roadway safety."

A 2011 report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found about 16 percent of fatal crashes that year involved at least one unlicensed driver.

"That leaves the victim holding the bag," Hinds said, adding that giving dreamers licenses "makes it safer for all of us."

Q: When do the licenses issued to DACA recipients expire?

A: The licenses expire when their work-authorization document expires.